Rebels to government: Surrender soldiers with humanitarian violations

THE New People's Army (NPA) dared the Government of the Philippines (GPH) to surrender soldiers who violated International Humanitarian Law (IHL) before they yield their comrades behind the September 1 grenade attack in Barangay Fatima, Paquibato District, Davao City that wounded 48 civilians.

Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA's Merardo Arce Command, issued the press statement Tuesday in response to the demand of the national and local governments to surrender their comrades behind the grenade attack.

Sanchez said the demand to surrender their comrades was just a deceptive and illusory for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), United States (US), and President Benigno Simeon Aquino III's regime.

Juland Suazo, secretary general of the Panalipdan–Southern Mindanao Region (SMR), also dared the GPH through social networking site Facebook to surrender General Jovito Palparan and his sidekicks who killed hundreds of activists and civilians in other areas in Mindanao.

"I think, genuine peace advocates must consistently push or encourage the two warring governments, the GPH which has the AFP and PNP and rural-based People's Democratic Government so as to address the roots of armed conflict such as foreign domination, landlessness, poverty, class exploitation and oppression, and environmental plunder, and underdevelopment. No justice, no peace," Suazo said.

Suazo added the "revolutionary movement would also dare the government to comply with the rules of war or the international humanitarian law such as the non-encampment of detachments within or closed to civilian communities."

Sanchez said they apologize for their mistake but they will never surrender their comrades, as he ensured that they will discipline their members responsible on the incident.

Major Jacob Thaddeus Obligado, chief of the Army's 10th Infantry Division's Civil Military Operation Battalion, said if the communist rebels are serious with the GPH and National Democratic Front (NDF) peace negotiation, they must surrender their members, especially since they are the ones who commit violation on human rights law.

"May tamang proseso para sa lahat, at yun dapat ang sundin nila," said Senior Superintendent Ronald M. dela Rosa, director of the Davao City Police Office.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Ednar Dayanghirang, GPH panel member, both issued earlier the same challenge to serve justice to the victims of the grenade explosion.